Neil Shawcross RHA RUA (b.1940)

Cat

Watercolour, 56 x 38cm (22 x 15)
Signed

Provenance: The Eamonn Mallie Collection

 

When I was a young man in the Gaeltacht, the 'Bean an Tí ( woman...

Neil Shawcross RHA RUA (b.1940)

Cat

Watercolour, 56 x 38cm (22 x 15)
Signed

Provenance: The Eamonn Mallie Collection

 

When I was a young man in the Gaeltacht, the 'Bean an Tí ( woman of the house ) said to a local man who walked in "Suí síos a Sheáin. Seán replied, "Cosúil leis an mhadadh in a shuí tá mé níos mó i mo sheasamh." (Like the dog sitting I am bigger standing). When I glanced at Shawcross's seated cat close to our fireside I recalled that lovely little Donegal exchange and realised the wisdom in Sean's words.

I vividly remember the first time I clapped my eyes on Shawcross's cat in his studio. He had painted many of our cat's ancestors in the late Sixties and early Seventies but let them off roaming around Belfast and further afield and only returned to capture a couple of their offspring's off spring in the Nineties prompted by a very good friend and collector of his who asked him to paint a cat for him. Luckily Neil painted two cats and I bought this lady. How I loved the pose adopted by this feline creature sporting an air of self satisfaction basking in the afternoon sunshine....I love how her eyes gleam like emeralds framed by very definitive whiskers or feelers. Our cat moved around two houses over the years but always ended up near the fire like my wife who loves heat.

I always felt too that Shawcross's cat has something of the arrogant self satisfied disposition of one of Blackshaw's fighting cocks after a good feed of oats puffing out its chest, stretching its's throat to crow. Our cat cannot betray her instincts either.....she feels it is time to move onto pastures new and possibly take up her position by your fireside.

Eamonn Mallie

 

View more View less